Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow: No one denies that slums - also known as shantytowns, squatter cities, and informal settlements - have serious problems. They are as a rule overcrowded, unhealthy, and emblems of profound inequality. But among architects, planners, and other thinkers, there is a growing realization that they also possess unique strengths, and may even hold lessons in successful urban development.
Christopher Alexander: A building or town will only be alive to the extent that it is governed by the timeless way. The search which we make for this quality, in our own lives, is the central search of any person ... It is the search for those moments and situations when we are most alive.
The suburbs affect humans as zoos affect animals. I was in Africa last year and saw a lot of animals in the wild that I'd only seen in zoos before. It was remarkable how different they seemed. Particularly lions. Lions in the wild seem about ten times more alive. They're like different animals.
Coming to America: First world shanty towns.
Learning from slums | 
